Texas Football Spring Game 2014: Live Game Grades and Analysis

The Texas Longhorns kicked off the annual Orange-White Scrimmage on Saturday at 1 p.m. Central. The first-string offense faced the second-string defense, and the second-string offense faced the first-string defense. 

Positional Unit	First-Half Grade	Second-Half Grade
Pass Offense	D	B
Run Offense	C-	B
Pass Defense	A-	C+
Run Defense	B	B-

First-half analysis for the Texas Longhorns

Pass Offense: It was difficult to determine the best quarterback in the first half because both Tyrone Swoopes and Miles Onyegbule struggled to connect on multiple occasions. Swoopes was intercepted by walk-on defensive back Dylan Haines, and Onyegbule threw a pick-six to first-string safety Mykkele Thompson and was intercepted by Josh Turner with less than a minute left in the first half. The one positive that came from the quarterbacks was a 42-yard touchdown pass by Swoopes to Daje Johnson as time expired. Aside from that, the quarterback woes are still very present for the Longhorns.

Run Offense: The run offense was fairly nonexistent throughout the first half, but a last-minute touchdown run by Malcolm Brown helped change that. Running back Jalen Overstreet had a nice run against the first-string defense to start the game, but he was quiet for the rest of the half.

Pass Defense: The pass defense was on par throughout the first half of the game and made the quarterback issues even more apparent. The Longhorns kept the pressure on the first- and second-string offense and picked up three interceptions including a pick-six. 

Run Defense: The Longhorns run defense helped keep the running game fairly silent throughout the first half. The defense picked up a total of eight sacks against Swoopes and Onyegbule. Aside from Brown's touchdown with one minute, 24 seconds left in the half, the run defense looked decent.

Second-half analysis for the Texas Longhorns

Pass Offense: Swoopes looked much better in the second half compared to the first. He appeared to be more confident and in control of the game, which is a big step for a young player. The quarterback issues are still present, but seeing his progress throughout the second half could give some Texas fans hope for the future.

Run Offense: Brown took control of the run game during the second half. He finished the game with 82 yards on the ground and a rushing touchdown and two receptions for 25 yards and a receiving touchdown. The running back unit was without Johnathan Gray and Joe Bergeron, but Brown's performance made the drop-off much less severe.

Pass Defense: The pass defense was not as good during the second half when Swoopes turned up his game, but he was performing against the second-string defense. The first team completely shut down Onyegbule, who finished the game with 60 yards passing. 

Run Defense: The first-team run defense helped hold Overstreet to only nine yards during the second half, while the second-team defense held Brown to 36 yards on eight carries. Overall, the run defense had a solid showing in the Orange-White Scrimmage.

Position	Player and Stats
QB	Tyrone Swoopes: 17-of-30, 3 touchdowns, 1 interception
RB	Malcolm Brown: 82 yards, 1 rushing TD, 1 receiving TD
WR	Jaxon Shipley: 6 catches, 95 yards, 1 touchdown
DL	Desmond Jackson: 6 tackles, 1 sack
DL	Cedric Reed: 3 tackles, 2 sacks
DB	Mykkele Thompson: 5 tackles, 1 pick-six